Special Senses System

Eye, Retina - Dysplasia

Narrative
Comment:
Retinal dysplasia (Figure 1 and Figure 2) is an incidental developmental anomaly occasionally noted in rats and mice. It consists of variably extensive focal infoldings or rosette-like formations of the retinal layers, sometimes with poorly developed or disorganized architecture. There is usually little if any concurrent degeneration or necrosis. Minor cases are of no clinical significance. Retinal dysplasia occurs as a heritable genetic defect in some mice, and similar changes have been induced in rat pups by deficiencies of certain nutrients during the fetal period or by perinatal administration of toxins. However, the exact cause of most cases in rats and mice is unknown.
Recommendations:
Retinal dysplasia should be diagnosed as present (no severity grade assigned). However, severity grades could be assigned if they would help clarify a treatment effect (especially in perinatal exposure studies).
References:

Frame SR, Slone TW. 1966. Nonneoplastic and neoplastic changes in the eye. In: Pathobiology of the Aging Mouse, Vol 2 (Mohr U, Dungworth DL, Capen CC, Carlton WW, Sundberg JP, Ward JM, eds). ILSI Press, Washington, DC, 97-103.

Gottschall-Pass KT, Grahn BH, Gorecki DKJ, Paterson PG. 1997. Oscillatory potentials and light microscopic changes demonstrate an interaction between zinc and taurine in the developing rat retina. J Nutr 127:1206-1213.

Abstract: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/127/6/1206.full

Haider NB, Naggart JK, Nishina PM. 2001. Excess cone cell proliferation due to lack of a functional NR2E3 causes retinal dysplasia in rd7/rd7 mice. Hum Mol Gen 10:1619-1626.

Full Text: http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/16/1619.full

National Toxicology Program. 2012. NTP TR-571. Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Kava Kava Extract (CAS No. 9000-38-8) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies). NTP, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Abstract: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36127

Poulson R, Hayes B. 1988. Congenital retinal folds in Sheffield-Wistar rats. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 226:31-33.

Full Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3342972

Smith RS, Hawes NL, Chang B, Nishina PM. 2002. Retina. In: Systematic Evaluation of the Mouse Eye: Anatomy, Pathology, and Biomethods (Smith RS, John SWM, Nishina PM, Sundberg JP, eds). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 195-225.

  • Image of retina dysplasia in the eye from a female B6C3F1 mouse in a chronic study

    Eye, Retina - Dysplasia in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a chronic study. There are focal infoldings or rosette-like formations of the retinal layers (arrow).

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Eye, Retina - Dysplasia in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a chronic study. There are focal infoldings or rosette-like formations of the retinal layers (arrow).
Eye, Retina - Dysplasia in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a chronic study. There are focal infoldings or rosette-like formations of the retinal layers (arrow).
Eye, Retina - Dysplasia in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a chronic study (higher magnification of Figure 1). There is retinal dysplasia (arrow) with little, if any, concurrent degeneration or necrosis.
Eye, Retina - Dysplasia in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a chronic study (higher magnification of Figure 1). There is retinal dysplasia (arrow) with little, if any, concurrent degeneration or necrosis.

Author

Margarita M. Gruebbel, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Senior Pathologist
Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc.
Research Triangle Park, NC

Reviewers

Ruth E. Hurley, DVM, PHD, DACVP
Senior Veterinary Pathologist
Huntingdon Life Sciences
North Brunswick, NJ

Robert R. Maronpot, DVM, MS, MPH, DACVP, DABT, FIATP
Senior Pathologist
Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc.
Research Triangle Park, NC